Why you can't reuse some automotive fasteners

A few actress bucks is piece of cake insurance against a part failure later on.

My final repair job involved removing the drive axle from the steering knuckle. The shop transmission warns not to reuse the axle nut, so I trotted off to the parts store for a new ane. The parts store guy said he rarely sold the new nuts and told me to merely reuse the quondam one. That'south not practiced advice, and it made me wonder if other DIYers were ignoring the store manual warning besides.

I'1000 not talking about ordinary automotive nuts and bolts. I'1000 referring to the special basics on major components like axle shafts and ball joints where a lost (or loosened) nut can cause accidents, fifty-fifty fatal accidents. These fasteners, called "prevailing torque nuts," are shown here. They're deformed into an elliptical shape during the manufacturing procedure (while they're still hot). During the tightening process, the bolt or axle shaft stretches the nut into a round shape. Even after "rounding out," the nut retains enough elliptical distortion to preclude loosening in loftier heat situations where thread-locking compounds unremarkably fail.

Car makers use two types of non-reusable prevailing torque basics: the heart locknut manner and the toplock variety. The center locknut version can be installed from either end, since the deformed portion is located in the middle of the nut. However, a toplock nut can but be installed ane fashion, since the deformed finish tin't engage the threads. Whichever style is on your vehicle, make sure y'all buy a new nut afterwards removing the old 1. The old nut volition non hold the proper torque a 2nd time. Don't even think well-nigh "re-deforming" the old nut in your bench vise—it won't work. New beam nuts cost virtually $3 and brawl joint nuts usually less than $1. Your family's condom is worth far more than that.
Prevailing torque nuts
— Rick Muscoplat, Automotive Editor

For more than information on nuts and bolts, read our How to Loosen Nuts, Bolts and Screws on FamilyHandyman.com.

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Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/why-you-can-t-reuse-some-automotive-fasteners/

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